Study suggests reality TV may be culprit in Mean Girls ‘epidemic’

According to a new study, conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute, called Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV, reality TV shows like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom contribute to Mean Girl cliquish behavior.

Some stats that stand out: Of the 1,141 girls (aged 11-17) surveyed, 86 percent of them think that reality shows “often pit girls against each other to make the shows more exciting,” while 73 percent think the shows “make people think that fighting is a normal part of a romantic relationship.” (Come on, Sammi and Ron-Ron, at least try and make it work for the kids!) On top of that, 70 percent of the young females surveyed thought reality shows “make people think it’s okay to treat others badly.”

Frighteningly, reality watchers in the study agreed with the following statement: “Being mean earns you more respect than being nice.” (Hey, it worked for mean girl Rachel on Big Brother, who won over slightly nicer girl Porsche. Though, to be fair, Porsche’s more of a Karen than a Regina and more of a car than a person. Beep Beep!) Girls who tune into reality shows also backed the statements, “You have to be mean to others to get what you want,” “Girls often have to compete for a guy’s attention,” and “It’s in girls’ nature to be catty and competitive with one another” more than their non-reality watching counterparts. (There was a more unsettling find, though: “Many girls think these programs reflect reality, with 75 percent saying that competition shows and 50 percent saying that real-life shows are ‘mainly real and unscripted.’” Dear lord, stay in school, kids!)